Danni didn’t recognize the body. Whoever he was, he’d been mangled badly – throat torn open and one of his arms ripped from its socket. He was beyond help.
Her heart went out to him, but she couldn’t spare herself the luxury of sympathy, not with the woods still full of enemies. Danni didn’t fool herself into thinking she’d gotten them all. Even if they caught her now, though, she’d taken a hell of a chunk out of their numbers – hopefully enough to make them think twice about grabbing anyone ever again.
She once more glanced down at the body. Is he wearing a tie?
Strange, but a mystery for another time. She had more important things to worry about, such as the fact that of all the Lesterfields she’d encountered since escaping, she hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the one who terrified her the most – Noah, the so-called Jersey Devil. With any luck he was lying in a ditch, a victim of the earlier firefight.
She hated to think of him escaping, remaining free to haunt these woods and anyone unlucky enough to cross his path.
Danni pushed that thought away and moved across the clearing to where she spied two more prone figures in the dim starlight. She didn’t detect any movement, which probably didn’t bode well for them, but needed to check anyway. If they were merely unconscious, she couldn’t just abandon them.
She reached the first body and dropped to one knee, digging the butt of the shotgun into the ground for purchase. Her breath caught in her throat as she leaned in and recognized a familiar face.
“Arthur? Oh my God!”
It was like Colorado all over again and, for a second, the memory halted her in her tracks. Tears dripped from her eyes at the sight of him, creating tiny furrows in the mud that still caked her face. She gave his shoulder a nudge to try and wake him, but there was no response.
In a near panic, she wiped one hand clean against the grass and pressed two fingers to the side of his neck, praying that she wasn’t too late, but then feeling the sticky blood coating his throat.
No!
Several seconds passed and she felt nothing. She leaned down and pressed her ear to his lips to no avail. There was no pulse, no sign that he was breathing. He was likely gone, another victim of these soulless monsters.
Danni wasn’t about to give up that easily, though. She hadn’t known him long, but in the short time since they’d met, he’d reminded her what it was to be a normal girl again – giving her back a little piece of the life she’d walked away from.
And those bastards killed him for it.
She bent down and began chest compressions.
What is he even doing out here?
She didn’t try to fool herself as to the reason. She’d seen the looks he’d given her when he didn’t think she was looking. He came out here to save her, and that somehow made the hurt even worse.
Danni wiped away the tears, smearing the grime on her face. Was he out here on his own? How the hell did he even know how to find...
She glanced up and noticed something lying next to Arthur that she’d missed in her horror at finding him – a large side-satchel pack. Even in the gloom, it was instantly recognizable.
Danni reached for it, but then she heard a sound, a low groan from somewhere nearby. Acting on pure instinct, she shouldered her shotgun and spun to meet this new challenge.
♦ ♦ ♦
Derek wasn’t trying to scare Julia, but there hadn’t been any other way to go about it. His injuries were catching up to him, and his reaction time was likely not up to the task of a firefight against three armed opponents. That Julia was holding his rifle while he was on the ground likewise severely limited his options.
He’d heard them approaching just as he realized what kind of trap she’d almost triggered, hoping the thick bushes which obscured the trip wire were enough to hide him from their view as well.
Of course, none of that would have mattered had Julia panicked and set it off, but he had to hand it to her. She’d kept her cool. It was more than admirable considering what they were up against.
He’d used the time as best he could – working quickly and quietly to brace the trigger mechanism so that she wouldn’t accidentally set it off. Not that he was in any position to let her know that.
Fortunately for them, their guests – three, if he heard correctly – hadn’t immediately opened fire. Then again, perhaps it shouldn’t have been all that surprising. Julia was a woman, an attractive one at that if he allowed himself the conceit. It was the reason these monsters had taken Danni and all the others before her, the reason they’d left Julia’s brother-in-law behind to rot in the woods.
Derek hadn’t intended to use her as bait, but sometimes one had to think on the fly. Truth be told, they were both in a bad spot, not helped by the fact that he wanted nothing more than to pass out for the next several days.
He reached a hand to his hunting holster. His Ruger had given its life saving his, but fortunately, he had a backup in the form of an old .357 Colt Python. It didn’t have the punch of the other weapon, but it was more than enough for these assholes.
Derek hesitated just as his fingers brushed against the release, realizing that unsnapping the button would make a sound, however slight. In these conditions anything could potentially set off their foes, who were likely already on edge.
No. He couldn’t risk it, not until the time was right. Even then he’d have to hope that his reflexes were still quick enough to make it count.
The Lesterfields ordered Julia to disarm, then stepped in.
Come on, just a little more.
The one in the middle moved close enough to touch her, the others barely a step behind. It was now or never.
Hoping the reporter was in a forgiving mood, he kicked out at the back of her knee, toppling her over.
She hit the ground and he released the trigger. With any luck, the Lesterfields had put their all into this particular trap.
♦ ♦ ♦
Julia felt a whoosh of air above her, then heard a meaty thud as something heavy collided with the trio who’d been accosting her.
She rolled over and saw a heavy log swing back over her. Wooden spikes jutted out of it and dark, viscous liquid dripped from their tips. Considering the nasty look of those spikes, she didn’t have to guess too hard as to what it was.
“Go!” Derek shouted from next to her. She didn’t need to be told twice, even if she did plan on kicking his ass when this was all over.
For now, the priority was making sure they were the last two standing in this skirmish, something made more difficult by the fact that she’d thrown away their weapons.
Or maybe not. She rolled clear of the death pendulum’s backswing and saw Derek’s rifle lying on the ground several feet away, illuminated by the discarded lantern lying next to it.
Two of their assailants lay unmoving in the grass close by. It was hard to tell at this distance, but she was fairly certain the one with the lopsided smile wouldn’t be getting up again. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
She bent low and retrieved the gun, but before she could bring it up, movement registered from her flank. Julia turned in time to see the third member of her would-be kidnappers rush toward her. The lantern light revealed a wicked-looking knife in his hand and a snarl of pure hatred on his face.
Julia’s eyes opened wide and she braced herself as best as she could.
In the moment before he reached her, Derek launched himself into the misshapen man’s side, knocking both of them to the ground where they began to wrestle for purchase.
“Go help the others!” Derek cried out, driving a punch into his foe that appeared to do little to dissuade him.
Julia raised her gun but didn’t have a clear shot as the two men continued to grapple.
Come on! Get out of the damned way!
There came a moan from behind her and she dared a glance over her shoulder. Sure enough, another of the Lesterfields was slowly pulling himself up to a sitting position. She knew Derek was barely in any condition to go one on one with a toddler, much less a murderous mutation. If another managed to join the brawl, then all hope was lost.
She weighed the odds and trusted that he could keep fighting long enough for her to make sure this didn’t become a tag-team match.
Julia turned and stepped toward where the man-thing was trying to get up. He hadn’t caught the full brunt of the trap like his buddy, but he was pretty badly injured. A pair of nasty gashes bloodied his torso and his left arm hung uselessly at his side.
She raised the gun and pointed it at him. “Don’t move.”
“You a-ain’t got the sand, S-sarah.” He spat out a wad of blood. “Put down that peashooter and I’ll tell the others you submitted like a good girl.”
Julia wanted nothing more than to put a bullet right between his eyes, but he was right. Self-defense was one thing, but outright murdering someone – even one of them – was something she wasn’t prepared to do.
He grinned, apparently sensing this.
Besides, if they’re all dead, then there won’t be any of these bastards left to tell me what they did with Sophie.
A smile of her own creased her face. She quickly shifted her grip on the gun and had just enough time to register his look of triumph turn to one of surprise as she slammed the butt of the rifle into the side of his head.
Broken teeth flew from his mouth and he fell to the ground, motionless.
Julia allowed herself a moment to savor her victory, then she remembered the fight going on behind her.
She spun back to find that the tide had shifted against Derek. He was on his back desperately trying to hold the other man’s knife at bay. It was a losing battle. He was too weakened by his injuries and his opponent had the advantage of leverage.
Time seemed to slow down as she spun the rifle around and tried to bring it to bear once more, knowing she was going to be too late. The hunchbacked man atop Derek pulled back, yanking his arm free from his opponent’s grasp.
He raised the knife high for a killing blow.
Julia aimed the rifle from her hip, praying her aim was true.
She pulled the trigger just as the knife came down.